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What is a Credit Card?

By: John Sense


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Credit cards are ubiquitous these days, they are all over the Western world, and to be honest most of the rest of the World as well. Most adults in America have over two credit cards a massive statistics.

This is because credit cards are very useful. For example you are protected from fraud when buying over a distance, they are easy to carry and are available to be called upon even if you ran out of your own money that month.

But just what is a credit card?

What is a Credit Card?

A credit card is, as the name suggests, a type of card that gives you credit. But whereas a debit card uses money that you already have (either in your bank account or topped up if using a top up debit card) credit cards simply give you money you get from a credit company their money.

What we mean by that is that when you apply for a credit card you will, if accepted, get a credit limit that you can spend. This limit is the top level of money that you can spend on the card without repaying some money back (which we will cover later).

You then proceed to use the credit card in the same way that you would a debit card. You can use it to pay for things in person if they have the facilities (most shops do), you can buy products and services online, over the phone, via a catalogue anyway that you want to.

Each of these purchases adds a value to the money that you owe, rather than subtracting from the amount that you have. It will usually do so instantaneously after a transaction.

Repayments

Because it is not so much your money but money borrowed from a company the money that you spend on a credit card has to be paid back, and there are rules and regulations for doing so. In most cases there will be a minimum payment if you have used any of the money. This means you will have to pay x percentage of the money you borrowed back as a minimum. You can always pay more than that back.

Because you have borrowed money, the money you have borrowed is open to interest. So the longer that you pay your money back the more you will end up owing die to interest building up. The amount of interest always depends on the interest rate the card has when you signed up APR on most deals.

Offers

A lot of credit cards have a lot of special offers and deals more so than most people think of being the role of a credit card. They offer such things as cash back, the ability to earn air-miles, competitions and more.

These are not the central parts you need to consider, not the very core role of the credit card. Always consider what your own needs are when it comes to a credit card. Remember that the credit card is, first and foremost, a convenient way of getting credit when it is needed.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

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